November is National Gratitude Month and a great time to focus or refocus on gratitude. Gratitude is defined as the quality of being thankful. This can extend to friends, family, coworkers, and also to yourself!
Why is it important to practice gratitude? Studies have shown practicing gratitude can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Gratitude is linked to better social, physical, and emotional health. Gratitude is something that should be continually practiced, not just in November! It can be hard to remember to be grateful, but consciously incorporating gratitude into your daily life can be a great tool for day-to-day life!
How can I practice gratitude? This can seem like a daunting task, but gratitude can be practiced in small steps! A good way to start is to write down what you are thankful for. This can be a short list, a comprehensive journal entry, or in any format you like! I like to have a list on a sticky note, that I can put around my room as a daily reminder.
Act on this list! Expressing your gratitude is beneficial for you and for the person you are talking with. Don’t be afraid to randomly express your gratitude. Some examples of this would be thanking a friend for their help or telling a family member you love them. I can say with confidence that my relationships have grown stronger when we show our gratitude to each other. Expressing your gratitude can make someone's day, and remember it doesn’t have to be to someone you know. Make sure to show gratitude to strangers, if someone holds the door open for you or demonstrates other small acts of kindness.
Now we have talked a bit about expressing gratitude to others, but what does expressing attitude to yourself look like? Celebrate your accomplishments, big and small! Thank yourself for completing a homework assignment, running errands, or getting a new job. When I practice self-gratitude, I like to focus on thanking myself for helping out my future self. Especially when I have to complete tasks I am not looking forward to, I am often motivated by the phrase “your future self with thank you!” It also helps to write this down. Try writing on a sticky note what you are proud of yourself for or try writing a journal entry about what you are thanking yourself for. This helps me to recenter myself after a failure, by focusing on the “wins” and why I am proud of myself.
For the rest of National Gratitude Month (and any month!), try focusing on expressing gratitude both towards others and yourself and see how this positively impacts your life!
Amy Senkerik
B.S. Neuroscience, B.S. Biological Sciences, B.S. Global Health